Physician - Ophthalmologist

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until July 13th, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be May 18th, 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates every 5 days. Eligible applications received after that date will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

• Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Authorized
• Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases
• Work Schedule: Full-time, schedule to be coordinated with your supervisor
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Authorized Learn more.
  • This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
• Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME)
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
• Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
• CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)
• Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
• Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

Seeking MEDICAL or SURGICAL Comprehensive Ophthalmologist, SURGICAL Glaucoma Specialist, or MEDICAL Retina Specialists for this Full-time VA position within Northern California VA Eye Section. Candidates of all skills are being sought for these 4 sites: Martinez VA, Sacramento VA Outpatient Hospital, McClellan VA, and Stockton VA. The position will be a combination of 2 sites or full time at Stockton VA or Sacramento VA. Outstanding anterior segment/cataract surgical skills required for Comprehensive Ophthalmology, and MIGS experience desired. Glaucoma Fellowship training required for Glaucoma Specialist position, as we currently only have 1 Glaucoma MD within NorCal VA at this time and have a severe need for additional Surgical Glaucoma care. Retina Fellowship training required for MEDICAL Retina Specialist position, as we currently only have 2 Retina MD's within NorCal VA at this time and have a severe need for additional Medical Retina care. There is a state of the art ASU operating room at Martinez and Sacramento VA Hospital. Stockton VA surgery is performed at a private contracted Ambulatory Surgery Center in Tracy, CA. This position provides opportunity as an Attending and as a Resident supervisor if stationed at Martinez and Sacramento (no residents at Stockton VA). At all sites, there is dedicated technician support, eye nurse support, as well as on-site YAG, Argon and SLT lasers, IOL Master Biometry, Visual Field testing, fundus imaging, optometry, and an on-site optical shop. In order from largest VA site to smallest: Sacramento, Martinez, Stockton, McClellan. Highest surgical volume at this time is at Sacramento/McClellan and Stockton VA.

Clinical Duties:

• Treatments include, but are not limited to: cataract surgery, diabetic retinopathy laser therapy, glaucoma treatment, and macular degeneration injections.
• Provide direct patient care to include, but are not limited to: history and physicals, medication management, evaluation of diagnostic tests and treatment planning, surgery, and clinical reminder completion as applicable.

Administrative Duties:

• Document all medical information in an electronic medical record.
• Participate in Process Improvement/Quality Assurance projects and participate in bi-annual Medical Staff activity including committee participation.
• General oversight of the operations of the Ophthalmology Clinic including but not limited to provide providing efficient patient management

Education Duties:

• Instructing and educating Ophthalmology residents.

To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed.
• Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
• Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are:
  • (1) Those approved by the accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR
  • (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR
  • (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the Physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences.
  • Exceptions:
    • Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision. Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs.
    • In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Additional Requirement:
Board Certified or Board Eligible ophthalmologist, seeking Comprehensive Eye Surgeons that either already do MIGS implants or are willing to obtain MIGS certification and/or have Glaucoma Fellowship training

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to wear protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must be able to perform CPR per ACLS/BLS protocols.

Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are:

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted.
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year graduated.

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.